Hit the Ground Running
by Shugs
Summary: An easy hunt goes awry for Sam & Dean when the monster they're after, lures Dean deep into the woods. What he should have seen coming, then hits him by surprise.
1. Part 1

Just a short piece written as a Contest Entry elsewhere. Set in season one or two

**Hit the Ground Running**

Though the moon was full and the sky was clear, Dean could hardly see more than a few feet ahead of him as he raced through the forest; his gun tucked in his tight grip and his eyes fixed on the shadowy figure darting around trees in front of him. His heart was pounding right out of his chest and every breath he took didn't seem like enough to fill his burning lungs. Matter of fact was, he hadn't run like that in years, but with the adrenaline rush of the chase pumping through his veins like a drug in his system, he was more than ready and willing to push his body well beyond its limits.

Ignoring the branches that continuously whipped him in the face as he ran, he took every shot he could without missing a stride; but between the trees, the shadows, the darkness and the distance between them, his silver bullets did little more than peel bark from trees and shatter the silence of night. This was supposed to be an easy hunt; they knew what they were dealing with, had the silver bullets they needed to kill it, and for a brief moment, right before the damn thing darted off into the woods, Dean thought for sure that they'd be calling it an early night... but he should have known better, because nothing was ever that easy for him and Sam.

He was running as fast as he could, but he could barely keep up with the thing as it raced through the darkness, leading him deeper & deeper into the woods and further from the old factory where he'd left his car. He should have known he was being set up, but he was so focused on gunning down the monster responsible for the string of deaths left in its wake, that he didn't see the warning signs and couldn't see that he was being led into the woods for a reason. All he was thinking about was the chase, and just when he thought he saw the opportunity to take that one clear shot needed to take the thing down, it passed through a shadow and simply vanished into the night.

That's when it hit him, and Dean stopped dead in his tracks. "Shit." He muttered to himself, his eyes glued to the very spot where he'd lost sight of it and his grip on the gun tightening as he backed into a shadow of his own. It was a rookie mistake and he hated himself for making it, how could he have not seen that coming? He thought to himself, sliding up against the trunk of a large tree nearby. Still trying to catch his breath and calm his racing heart, his eyes scanned the darkness for any sign of movement, anything at all that looked like it didn't belong. Unfortunately for him, the shadows cast by trees rustling in the wind were playing tricks on his eyes, and he couldn't tell the difference between the darkness of a shadow and that of someone or rather something, lurking in the underbrush.

But perhaps even worse than loosing sight of the monster he was hunting, or letting it lure him deep into the woods, was loosing Sam in the chase. He'd only glanced over his shoulder once, and when he did, Sam had been right behind him... but now his younger brother was nowhere in sight. Dean passed a hand over his face, wincing in pain as he felt the welts and cuts left by the onslaught of tree branches; some of them had even managed to draw blood. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he leaned heavily against the tree at his back, just trying to come up with his next move, trying to think of something. It might have outrun him, but it hadn't vanished into thin air, this he knew for a fact. When the sound of twigs snapping under someone's feet caught his attention, his eyes flew open and he loaded his gun, holding it up tight against his chest as he waited for something to come into view.

His heart was in his throat and he could feel the adrenaline high seep back into his system as he honed in on the sound and took aim, careful to keep his gun out of the moonlight. If he really was face to face with the thing, the last thing he needed was the gleam coming off his weapon to give him away. Listening intently as the sound of footsteps approached, he couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief as his eyes focused on the beam of a flashlight bouncing off the trees. "Sammy." He whispered to himself. Clutching his gun with one hand, he reached for his flashlight with the other, quickly turning it on and using it to signal his younger brother over. "Where the Hell have you been?"

"Looking for you." Sam hissed. "A little heads up before you dart into the woods would have been nice, Dean." He continued, taking a quick glance around before turning to the man standing among the shadows in front of him. "Where is it, did you get it?"

"No I didn't get it." Dean was quick to reply, shaking his head as his eyes once again scanned the darkness. "I lost it just up ahead, I don't even hear it moving around anymore."

"What? What do you mean you lost it?" Sam asked, his gaze drifting to the general area his older brother was staring at.

"It was fast, Sam..." Dean explained, still trying to catch his breath. "I could barely keep up with the thing."

"That's cause you're out of shape. So what's the plan now?" Sam asked as he caught his older brother's eyes.

There was a moment of silence and Dean couldn't help but feel the hair on the back of his neck stand. Every hunter had instincts, and now that he wasn't caught up in the chase, his were just screaming at him. "I say we split up and move in." He replied with hesitation, doing what he could not to let his tone of voice give him away as he once again reached for his flashlight with one hand, and loaded his gun with the other. "You go that way, and I'll head this way..." He informed, pointing his younger brother towards the left, and praying the feeling in his gut was right.

"Why? So you can get a clear shot at me?" Sam suddenly spat, throwing a punch that sent to Dean to the ground before he could even react.

Dean fell to his hands and knees on the forest floor, his heart beginning to race again as he looked back up to the man towering over him. That wasn't his brother standing there in the moonlight, it was the thing that had led him into the woods... He had been right to trust his gut, but he had also been to late.

"How stupid do you think I am?" It started, giving Dean a kick to the ribs that made him collapse. "I mean come on, did you actually think I wouldn't notice those wheels turning in that thick little skull of yours?" It continued with a sinister smile as it delivered yet another blow, this one flipping the young hunter onto his back.

Dean swore to himself as he clutched his sides, struggling to breath as he felt the pain begin to spread. "You son of a bitch." He groaned, watching as it casually knelt down beside him and picked his gun up off the forest floor.

"I've got to admit kid, I'm a little disappointed." It said with a smile, studying the young hunter's gun for only a moment before tucking it away. "Considering all the stories I've heard about you..." It continued, using a handkerchief to pull Dean's long silver knife from its case on the side of his belt.

Disarmed, injured and now at the mercy of the monster he'd been hunting, it didn't take long for the fear to set in. Ignoring the pain of the movement, Dean reached for the flashlight that lay on the ground beside him and quickly turned it on; knowing what he was up against but needing to see it just to be sure. When he shined the light onto his younger brother's face and caught a glimpse of the Shapeshifter's glowing eyes, his heart hit the bottom of his stomach. "Well aren't you a handsome devil..." He growled, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Didn't like that security guard's skin you were crawling around in?"

"Not really no, he was short and fat." It was quick to reply. "Besides, I couldn't use him to toy with your head... that security guard is who you were looking for. This on the other hand, this you didn't even see coming."

"What did you do to Sam." Dean hissed as his eyes narrowed, the thoughts already passing through his mind making his blood boil.

"Nothing yet." It replied with an evil grin, grabbing the other man by the shirt and pulling him into a sitting position. "I was thinking of maybe making an appearance as you... thought it'd be fitting if the last face he sees, is yours. What do you think?"

"He's going to know you're not me." Dean snarled, trying to convince himself what he'd just said to be true. "Sammy's not going to fall for it."

There was a moment of silence as the Shapeshifter offered another smile. "Well, you almost did." It quietly replied, thrusting the silver knife into the young hunter's abdomen. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got another hunter to hunt. One down, one more to go."


	2. Part 2

Ok so here's the second half... I know it's short but it was a contest entry.  
>Thanks for reading!<p>

Dean fell back onto the forest floor as the Shapeshifter released its grip, got up, and simply walked away; leaving him for dead as it once again vanished into the night. He lay still for a moment, staring up at the starry sky through bare tree tops, and feeling the warmth of his own blood as it trickled down from the wound. Knowing the longer he had to think about the knife sticking out of his gut, the worse it was going to be to deal with; Dean sucked in a shallow breath, wrapped his fingers around the handle of the blade, and yanked it out before he could give himself time to truly panic. The pain was instant and almost unbearable, but this was nothing new to him, living the life of a hunter, he'd been shot, stabbed, mauled and left for dead before...

* * *

><p>Sam swore under his breath as he used the Impala's bright spotlight to pierce the darkness and look into the woods, his eyes searching for anything that moved. Now that the echo of gunshots had faded away in the night and he was left with only silence, he was starting to worry... His brother wasn't back yet. "DEAN!" He shouted, focusing the beam of light in the direction the other man had taken off, but knowing that he could be anywhere in those dark woods by now. Though he had tried to keep up, Dean had the head start and it didn't take long before the pair split up and lost sight of each other in the chase. He grabbed his cell phone and punched down Dean's number, taking a quick glance at the old factory behind him before once again turning his attention to the dark woods ahead, listening for the sound of the other man's cell ring. He didn't hear the phone, but what he did hear was his name, and that was good enough.<p>

"DEAN!" He called out in response, leaning in through the Impala's window to lay a hand on the horn; hoping the sound would give his older brother the sense of direction needed to make his way through the dark maze of trees. When Dean suddenly stepped out of the woods, Sam couldn't help but breath a sight of relief. "Where the Hell have you been?"

"Out for a moonlit walk." Dean casually replied as he approached. "Where the Hell do you think?"

"Did you get it?" Sam continued. "Is it dead?"

"Yeah it's dead, no thanks to you..."

There was a moment of silence and Sam couldn't help but let his mind start to wander as he pocketed the cell phone he still held in his hand. If he had been able to hear the other man's voice drift through the night, then he should have been able to hear his phone ringing as well. Reaching into the back seat of the car to grab Dean's flask, he held it up for a moment before tossing it over to the other man; reaching for his gun as the Shapeshifter made a left handed catch. "Where's my brother." He growled, his tone of voice demanding an answer.

"Whoa, come on Sammy..."

"Unless you tell me where Dean is, I suggest you shut up." The young hunter snarled as he loaded his gun and turned the Impala's mounted spotlight to the impostor standing there in front of him.

Once the light hit it's eyes, the Shapeshifter knew that it was done for; it reached for the gun tucked in the back of its belt as Sam pulled the trigger on his. The single shot echoed in the night as the Shapeshifter fell dead to the ground and Sam lowered his gun, swearing under his breath as he did so.

Not only was it using Dean's form, it was also using his gun, which was something it couldn't physically replicate... That meant the thing had caught up to his older brother and managed to walk away with a weapon Dean never went anywhere without. A shiver crawled down his spine as he reached down to pry the gun from the Shifter's grip, tucking it away before turning towards the woods and taking in a deep breath.

With his flashlight in one hand and his cell phone in the other, Sam just started walking, trying to keep a straight line and follow the beam of the Impala's spotlight into the woods. He yelled out his brother's name, called dozens of times, but the only thing he could hear, was nothing but silence.

* * *

><p>Dean knew his cell phone was ringing, but he too was busy applying pressure to his wound to pick it up. The only person that would be calling him anyway was Sam, and if that was the case, he was probably only using the sound of the ringing phone to narrow down his search. Sam would come looking for him, this he knew, but if the Shapeshifter was still out there, the last thing he wanted was to stay where the thing had left him. Setting his phone down at the base of a tree, he carefully pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing as he felt the pain radiate from his stomach. He swore to himself, the deep breath he took pulling at his battered body as he got to his feet and staggered out of the moonlight. He couldn't go another round with the Shapeshifter, he'd barely gotten by the first time and he wasn't literally or figuratively out of the woods just yet.<p>

* * *

><p>When Sam heard the faint sound of his brother's cell phone ring, he couldn't help but feel a weight lift from his shoulders. "DEAN!" He shouted, hearing his own voice echo through the woods but getting no reply. As he approached and the sound got louder, Sam knew he was getting close, but when his eyes caught the blue glow of a screen on the ground, his heart sank like a stone. He quickly made his way over, swearing under his breath as he reached down to grab the bloody phone from the forest floor. "Damn it..." He said out loud, using his flashlight to take a glance around him. "Dean?" He called out, momentarily focusing on what looked like a puddle of mud; though his mind was convinced it was blood he could see glistening in the moonlight.<p>

Flashlight in hand, he carefully studied his surroundings, pausing as a wisp of smoke drifted out from behind a tree in front of him. "Dean?" He called out again, sure that what he was seeing wasn't smoke at all, but the warmth of his brother's breath hanging in the cool air.

Dean closed his eyes for a moment, his grip on the bloody knife tightening as he listened to the other man approach. He was trying to keep his cool, trying not to go into shock, but he knew what kind of situation he was in, and just knowing had his stomach in knots.

"Dude, it's me." Sam calmly started, pausing in his steps as he watched his older brother step out from behind a tree; clutching a bloody knife with one hand and his stomach with the other. He couldn't see much from where he was standing, but by the silver light of the moon, he could tell that his brother was hurt and exhausted.

"Sorry Sammy, but you're going to have to prove it to me..." Dean growled, holding the bloody knife out in front of him.

"Fair enough, we were chasing a Shifter." Sam was quick to reply, wasting no time pulling out his own silver blade and slicing into the palm of his hand. "There, convinced?" He asked, holding his hand out for the other man to see.

No sooner did he give his younger brother a nod, Sam was at his side, prying his hands away to get a better look at the stab wound. "Sammy are you alright?" He asked, sucking in a breath as the other man pressed his hands back against the wound to stop the bleeding.

Sam couldn't help but smile as he caught his older brother's eyes; the man was bleeding from the stomach and he could hardly keep his balance, but still he had to ask, just like he always did. "I'm fine." He was quick to reply, using his sleeve to wipe away a streak of blood that was running down the side of Dean's cheek. "You on the other hand... We need to get you to a hospital." He continued without missing a beat, hooking one arm around his brother's waist to help him move along. "C'mon, let's get you out of here."

"Did you get it?" Dean quietly asked. "Is it dead?"

"Yeah it's dead." Sam replied simply, helping the other man steady his steps as they started to make their way back to the Impala. "When I shot it, it looked like you... That thing sheds fast, is it safe to assume that it looked like me, when you came face to face with it?"

There was a moment of silence and Dean offered his brother a nod. "Yeah... and by the time I figured it out, it was too late... Son of a bitch landed a punch that sent me to the ground, next thing I knew it had my knife."

"Well it didn't fool me." Sam casually replied. "Thinking it could was its last mistake."

Dean couldn't help but smile as he spotted the Impala's bright spotlight in the distance, beaming into the woods like a lighthouse guiding them to safety. The nightmare was almost over, soon he'd be sitting in his car, on the way to some hospital in town where they'd fix him up and ask about the injury. He'd lie of course, tell them about a bar brawl he broke up, Sam would have a laugh, and then they would be off to their next hunt a few states over.

"Hey, you still good?" Sam asked, pulling the other man's attention away from his scattered thoughts. "You sound like you're out of breath."

"I'll live." Dean replied softly, a grin appearing to the corner of his lips as he caught his younger brother's eyes and let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Sam couldn't help but ask, he too eyeing the Impala's bright spotlight beaming through the trees.

"Dude, you run like girl." Dean quietly remarked.

There was a moment of silence and Sam shook his head. "I do not. Jerk..."

"Yeah you do, Bitch."

-Shugs


End file.
